After a monumental speech he delivered earlier this year in support of self-reliance, actor Ashton Kutcher received widespread praise for his commonsense approach to hard work and success.

Recalling that monologue, which he presented as an award recipient at the Teen Choice Awards in August, Kutcher appeared on Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show Wednesday to elaborate.

Advertisement - story continues below

“It was funny,” he said, “I was going on the show to receive this like lifetime achievement for Teen Choice Awards and I thought it was kind of like, I don’t know if I’ll ever get a Teen Choice Award again.”

Using the opportunity to reach a younger generation, Kutcher emphasized the importance of implementing a concrete plan for the future.

“I think that so much of what we see in the world today is this sort of propaganda machine around fame and around celebrity,” he told DeGeneres, noting many young people place more stock in acquiring fame than in achieving success.

Advertisement - story continues below

Taking advantage of a “valuable moment,” Kutcher explained that he just wanted to share his view that “working hard and being thoughtful and generous and smart” is “a path to a better life.”

Instead of starting at the bottom and working upward, too many people seem to expect to have their wants and needs handed to them. Kutcher addressed this phenomenon, contending the “only thing that can be below you is to not have a job.”

He decried the idea of “entitlement that is starting to emerge,” describing it as “unhealthy for people and unhealthy for our country.”

DeGeneres expressed her support for his sentiment, noting his comments are important for a segment of the population that is notoriously reluctant to work.

Based on some of the characters Kutcher has played throughout his successful career, many mistakenly ascribe the same simplemindedness to him as a person. His vocal support of the principles that made this the greatest nation in history objectively prove otherwise.